Using target notes: "Golden Slippers"

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Mike Marshall breaks down what exactly target notes are in this lesson, with the example of the tune "golden slippers". Mike defines targets notes as the most important notes in the melody. Breaking down melodies into target notes gives you the opportunity to expand and embellish the song.

- Okay, we're gonna talk about target notes now.…And target notes are the real skeleton notes of a melody,…and this is the beginning of trying…to understand how improvisation works.…Or really variation on a melody,…if you'd take a really simple melody.…We touched on it with Old Joe Clark,…back a little while ago.…And I'm just gonna expand on the notion now…with a couple of more tunes.…We're gonna look at Golden Slippers the old--…the old time tune.…

I actually recorded this with Darol Anger…on our first duo record, many moons ago, on Rounder Records.…And we took this through its paces.…I remember many many variations.…So, I'll play the tune first nice and easy.…(ukulele music)…Lovely little number.…

So what are the target notes?…The target notes are the real essence of the melody,…and what you wanna do is just break it down…to the most simple parts of it.…Starts on a B note.…So if we really zoom it down even further that that, we get,…(ukulele music and humming)…And when you hear--…You're hearing all the surround notes around this B.…

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Released

10/14/2016

Take mandolin lessons online and learn at your own pace. Grammy nominee Mike Marshall teaches the intermediate concepts that will take your mandolin skills to the next level. Get practice exercises to stay motivated and increase your speed and dexterity, and build your repertoire of solo and kickoff material. Mike starts the course with some techniques for keeping your instrument in tip-top shape, including changing the strings and setting the action (aka fret spacing). Then he segues into some intermediate music theory—keeping things fun and practical by showing examples in action. Next, learn how to play some intermediate mandolin tunes, including blues licks and scales, and practice some finger buster exercises to help refine your finger positioning, stamina, and reach.

This course is part two of the Mandolin Lessons series, which includes hundreds of lessons, exclusive performances, and special guest interviews. Make sure to check out the exercise files for downloadable tab, audio samples, and other study materials.

Note: This course was created and produced by ArtistWorks. We are honored to host this training in our library.